The Plymouth Belmont was a 1954 concept sports car built by Plymouth. Together with the 1954 DeSoto Adventurer concept it was the first plastic-bodied car made by Chrysler Corporation.
Plymouth Belmont at a glance
| Maker | Plymouth (Chrysler Corporation) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1954 |
| Type | concept sports car |
| Body | plastic, one of Chrysler’s first |
| Seats | two |
| Engine | V8, up to 150 hp (112 kW) |
| Length | 191.5 in |
| Colour | light blue metallic, repainted red later |
| Would have competed with | Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Thunderbird |
| Production | none |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Belmont, which is short.
History of the Plymouth Belmont
The Belmont was a show car of 1954, a two-seater with a plastic body and a V8 engine producing up to 150 hp. It was originally painted in a light blue metallic and was repainted red later. At 191.5 inches long, it was conceived as a possible production sports car: had it been built, its main competitors would have been the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird.
Who designed it
For a long time Virgil Exner was named as the designer, but in Exner’s 2007 biography he credited the design to William “Bill” Robinson. Exner wrote that Chrysler was not in a financial position to create a car to match the Corvette or the coming Thunderbird, and that a major stipulation was that Robinson had to use stock parts wherever possible, including bumpers and light bezels.
Robinson’s account is that Chrysler’s K. T. Keller did want a Corvette competitor and told Al Prance of Briggs Manufacturing to begin work on one; Prance turned to Robinson, who had been with Briggs as a designer for about five years. Robinson recalled that he first drew a real concept car with fins, but as the project went on he decided that a true sports car was wanted and made his designs more conservative. He also remembered Exner asking whether he would mind Exner taking credit for the Belmont, and agreeing.
Design and features
- Plastic body: one of the first two plastic-bodied Chrysler cars, with the DeSoto Adventurer.
- Stock parts: built where possible from existing Chrysler components, including bumpers and lamp bezels.
- V8 power: up to 150 hp in a car weighing far less than a full-size Plymouth.
- Two seats only: a genuine sports-car package rather than a trimmed sedan.
Plymouth Belmont versions
- Belmont show car (1954): the only car built, later repainted red.
- DeSoto Adventurer (1954): the companion concept and the other early Chrysler plastic body.
The Belmont was a sports-car study from the year the Belvedere became Plymouth’s top line. More cars are in the Plymouth collection.
Video: 1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car Convertible Goes Up for Sale at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2014
Video by MotorCar Collector on YouTube.
Sources
- Plymouth Belmont, English Wikipedia: body, engine, dimensions, design credit
